William Atkins
Sunday, 17 May 2009 19:39
Science -
Health
Page 1 of 2
Aspirin is commonly known to help heart attack victims, but a new U.S. study from the University of California finds that one of three ways to take aspirin is the most effective way to help people suffering heart attacks.
Researchers from the University of California (San Diego), lead by Dr.
Sean Nordt, tested a group of participants by giving them aspirin.
Aspirin, medically known as acetylsalicylic acid, is known to slow down the clotting mechanism of blood (an anti-coagulate), which helps to counter heart attacks and strokes.
The tablets are available either as regular aspirin (which is swallowed whole) or as chewable aspirin (which can be chewed, but also swallowed whole).
It also helps to relieve minor pains, to reduce fever, and to reduce inflammation.
In the study, fourteen people, between the ages of 20 and 61 years, were given two different ypes of aspirin (regular or chewable), and asked to ingest it one of two ways.
What was important was the way they were asked to take the aspirin. One group was told to take regular aspirin and swallow it whole. A second group was asked to take regular aspirin and chew it before swallowing it. A third group took chewable aspirin and chewed it before swallowing it.
The researchers then measured the blood flow of the aspirin through the subjects’ bodies to see which delivery method (first chewing or first swallowing) and which type of aspirin (regular or chewable) provided the most benefit to the human body.
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